Photo by: Bloomberg
Hollard and Telesure have launched a pilot programme to lower the barriers to entry for small motor body repair (MBR) companies and put them at the forefront of preferred suppliers.
The generally larger preferred MBR suppliers claimed the bulk of the millions of rands spent every year in the saturated MBR industry and by empowering the smaller player to meet the requirements of preferred supplier status, a steady flow of business could be cemented.
The two insurance giants aimed to train, develop and mentor seven selected MBR companies in human resource management, vision and leadership skills, financial management, marketing and other key competencies essential to developing an economically viable and sustainable business operation.
Following the conclusion of a business diagnostic exercise to determine specific interventions, the MBR companies would undergo a business assessment, the identification of specific business needs and a customised mentoring programme.
The development programme would run until early 2015.
“The promise of a regular flow of cars to the MBR [companies], together with their increased capacity to properly service those vehicles and customers, will lead to their sustainability and increased employment opportunities,” said Hollard personal lines GM Anton Botha.
Telesure MD Tom Creamer hoped that the programme would become a benchmark for enterprise development in the insurance industry to enable other entrepreneurs to benefit from the “right nurturing and mentorship”.
“Together, we hope to develop sustainable businesses that will continue to grow long after the pilot is over,” he concluded.